Crockpot Ranch Chicken

This Crockpot Ranch Chicken is simple, soul-satisfying, and just the type of low carb comfort food you need after a long day! Creamy and rich with all the flavors of your favorite ranch dressing!

Sometimes, you just know you’re going to want comfort food – something rich and creamy that doesn’t require lots of prep. So, when I know it’s going to be “one of those days”, I pull out the crockpot and make this ranch chicken recipe.

With only 5 ingredients, I can have this Crockpot Ranch Chicken ready to go in under 10 minutes – ok, 20 if I decide to get fancy and brown the chicken before adding it to the crockpot (also known as a slow cooker).

How to make Crockpot Ranch Chicken

This is a super simple recipe. It only has 4 steps and the first one is optional:

Step 1: If your crockpot has a saute feature, spray the pot with cooking spray. If your crockpot doesn’t have this feature, spray a skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Blot the chicken breasts dry and add to the crockpot or pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned. Turn and brown on the other side. If using a skillet, transfer the breasts to a crockpot after browning.

NOTE: You can totally skip browning the chicken and the dish will come out fine. Personally, I like the flavor and texture of the browned chicken better but if time is tight, you can skip this step!

Step 2: Add the stock, cream cheese, pepper, and ranch mix. Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.

NOTE: If you can’t get a chive and onion cream cheese spread like I am using here, just use normal cream cheese. You get plenty of flavors from the ranch mix so you don’t absolutely need flavored cream cheese.

Step 3: Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and whisk the sauce!!! For a thicker sauce, set the crockpot to saute and cook for 5 minutes, whisking frequently until the sauce thickens. If your crockpot doesn’t have a saute feature, pour the sauce into a saucepan and proceed as outlined above!

Step 4: Serve the chicken with some of the sauce and garnish with chopped bacon and sliced green onions if desired. I like to serve it over steamed broccoli, but zucchini noodles or cauliflower are delicious as well!

How to make homemade ranch dressing mix

If you don’t want to use pre-made ranch mix, you can easily make it yourself (and it will taste even better). This is how I do it:

Ranch dressing mix ingredients:

1 cup dry buttermilk

2½ tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. dried dill

2½ tsp. garlic powder

1½ tsp. onion powder

1½ tsp. dried onion flakes

2¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. sugar

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Simply put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until the spices are evenly distributed in the buttermilk powder. This recipe will make a big batch of ranch mix (much more than you need for this recipe). You can store the ranch mix for months in an airtight container.

I typically don’t use sugar here on Diabetes Strong, but this is such a small amount and it REALLY helps the flavor. You can use powdered Stevia instead of sugar if you really want to, but I don’t think it’s worth it.

Other healthy chicken recipes you might enjoy!

I love my simple but delicious chicken recipes! Here are a few that I am sure you will enjoy:

To brown the chicken (optional): if your crockpot has a saute setting, spray the inside with cooking spray and set to saute. If your crockpot doesn't have a saute setting, spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.

Blot the chicken dry with a paper towel and add to the crockpot or skillet. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Turn and repeat on the other side.

If using a skillet to brown the chicken, transfer the chicken breasts to the crockpot after browning.

Add the chicken stock, cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C).

When the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the crockpot and whisk the sauce until it is smooth. For a thicker sauce, return the crockpot to the saute setting (high if possible) and cook, whisking frequently for 5 to 10 minutes.

If your crockpot doesn't have a saute setting, pour the sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.

Garnish with the bacon and sliced green onions before serving if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 362Calories from Fat 167

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18.5g28%

Saturated Fat 9.8g49%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 123mg41%

Sodium 1334mg56%

Potassium 3.9mg0%

Total Carbohydrates 9.7g3%

Dietary Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugars 3.5g

Protein 37.3g75%

Vitamin A12%

Vitamin C3%

Calcium8.1%

Iron6.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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About Christel Oerum

Christel is a passionate fitness enthusiast and the co-founder of Diabetes Strong. She is a Certified Personal Trainer specializing in diabetes. As someone living with type 1 diabetes, Christel is particularly passionate about helping others with diabetes live active healthy lives. She’s a diabetes advocate, public speaker, and author of the popular diabetes book Fit With Diabetes.